The Sheffield Children's Book Award is back and brilliant as ever. 2018 sees a new shortlist of dazzling titles. Every year, in January, a stack of Sheffield Library staff escape the cold, and fueled by tea and biscuits, look through a long-list of the previous year's children's book releases, selecting only the very best to make the award shortlist. These books are then sent out to schools and libraries throughout Sheffield, where children read and vote for their favourites. That's what is special about the Sheffield Children's Book Award, it is the children, well known for being the harshest of critics, who decide on the winners.This year is the 30th Anniversary of the awards!! (I know, we look far too young for it don't we?), so we are going to be celebrating in style!
For the next few weeks we are zooming in on the shortlisted titles in each category, and our first stop is with the ever popular picture books! We hope you love these as much as we do.
Billy and the Mini Monsters - Monsters in the Dark
Written by Zanna Davidson
Illustrated by Melanie Williamson
- http://melaniewilliamsonillustration.co.uk
Published by Usborne
- https://usborne.com
Billy keeps hearing a squeaky little voice, finds tiny purple footprints and something has attacked his cheese sandwich!! In this book we meet a cast of hilarious characters and some not-so-scary monsters! With combination of comic style and illustrated fiction, Monsters in the Dark offers brilliant variety to keep young children entertained, perfectly pitched text for learning and bright colourful illustrations to make everyone laugh. We loved the variety contained in this book, but with brilliantly written text suited for children just starting to gain their confidence in reading, an who love a funny story.
“The shadow had gone but there, glowing in the darkness, was a monster. It was green. It had horns. Only it wasn't enormous. It was... it was... tiny.”
- http://melaniewilliamsonillustration.co.uk
- https://usborne.com
Press Start! Game Over, & Powers Up!
Written and illustrated by Thomas Flintham
Published by Scholastic
Press Start is not only a game in a book, it is actually two books in one book! Confused? Don't be! This brilliant double story is heavily illustrated with pixel styled graphics designed to grab the attention of newly confident readers. It's fun and fast paced and incredibly clever. This book has such wide appeal and will help to encourage children away from their computer games and into a book, where they will be learning to read without even realising.
“King Viking can't stand the fun going on in Animal Town. He has never danced. He has never played games. He has only ever been mean! So he has come up with a No-Fun Plan.”
My Brother's Famous Bottom Makes a Splash
Illustrated by Rowan Clifford
Jeremy Strong books are a long time favourite in the library and he's back with another bottom filled funny read for newly confident readers. Of the three emerging reads, this is the more challenging chapter book style. Following Nicholas and his family once more, they go off on holiday to Turkey and of course things don't go to plan, with hilarious consequences. My Brother's Famous Bottom books are so packed with humour, they appeal to such a range of children, and are a great book to be shared with adults too. The familiarity of a much loved favourite always goes down well alongside new titles.
"My Dad's been arrested! He really has. He's always doing daft things and getting into a mess. This time he was put in a police van and taken to the police station by two policemen, one policewoman and three park keepers."
All of the above books are available to borrow from Sheffield Libraries, so why not read them all with your children and then vote for your favourite! Pick up the voting form from your local library.
Illustrated by Rowan Clifford
"My Dad's been arrested! He really has. He's always doing daft things and getting into a mess. This time he was put in a police van and taken to the police station by two policemen, one policewoman and three park keepers."
